Start Here
Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Vintage Publishing
Published:2nd Nov '23
Should be back in stock very soon

*** 2024 JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION BOOK AWARD WINNER *** A NEW YORK TIMES BEST COOKBOOK OF 2023***
'A book to return to again and again and again' Yotam Ottolenghi |Foreword by Samin Nosrat, author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat' |An instant classic' Dan Levy | 'Sohla has improved my cooking' Samin Nosrat
Change the way you think about cooking! In this epic guide to better eating, chef, recipe developer, and video producer Sohla El-Waylly reimagines what a cookbook can be, teaching home cooks of all skill levels how cooking really works.
A one-stop resource, regardless of what you're hungry for, Start Here gives equal weight to savory and sweet dishes, with more than 200 mouthwatering recipes, including:
- Chicken Soup with Masa Dumplings
- Charred Lemon Risotto
- Crispy-Skinned Salmon with Radishes & Nuoc Cham
- Fancy Restaurant-Style Glazed Potatoes
- Brothy Same-Day Slow-Roast Whole Chicken
- Flaky Brown Butter Lachha Paratha
- Add-Anything Drop Cookies
- Creamy Lemon Squares with Brown Butter Crust
- Masa & Buttermilk Tres Leches
This practical, information-packed, and transformative guide to becoming a better cook and conquering the kitchen is a must-have masterclass in levelling up your cooking. Across a dozen technique-themed chapters - from "Temperature Management 101" and "Break it Down & Get Saucy" to "Mix it Right," "Go to Brown Town," and "Getting to Know Dough" - Sohla El-Waylly explains the hows and whys of cooking, introducing the fundamental skills that you need to become a more intuitive, inventive cook.
Packed with practical advice and scientific background, helpful tips, and an almost endless assortment of recipe variations, along with tips, guidance, and how-tos, Start Here is culinary school - without the student loans. Perfect for novice cooks, and foodies who want to grow their repertoire, alike.
The perfect companion to anyone starting out in the kitchen. In sharing so much experience and knowledge - not to mention so many recipes that I want to eat -Sohla has crafted a book to return to again and again and again. * Yotam Ottolenghi, author of 'Simple' and 'Flavour' *
This book has done the impossible: It's inspired me to cook.Start Here is an instant classic destined to be a kitchen staple. Sohla has revolutionized what a cookbook can be in a way that speaks so uniquely to her razor-sharp wit, generosity of spirit, and undeniable skill. * Dan Levy, Emmy Award–winning writer, actor, director, and producer of 'Schitt’s Creek' *
The book I wish someone had handed me when I began my own journey as a cook . . . Sohla has improved my cooking, and I guarantee she will improve yours, too. * Samin Nosrat, author of 'Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat' *
Quite simply the modern cooking bible. A true tome that will not only teach you the foundations of cooking, but guide you towards becoming a more intuitive cook. Designed with accessibility in mind, the larger-than-average type and step-by-step photos ensure complete confidence in the kitchen. An instant classic. * Alexina Anatole, author of 'Bitter' *
Cooking through Start Here has brought more joy to my kitchen than any cookbook in memory. Spoiler alert for my friends: This is what you're getting for Christmas. * Stella Parks, author of 'BraveTart' *
I am an instant fan of any book that crams in this much knowledge and science right alongside things like Lisa Frank Cookies and not one but FOUR kinds of homemade fun dip! . . . I don't know who's more excited, my brain or my belly! * Molly Yeh, author and Food Network host *
A one-stop grand diplôme in the culinary arts taught by one of the most talented and knowledgable chefs, Sohla El-Waylly . . . Start Here is an instant, must-have classic. * Rick Andrew Martinez, author of 'Mi Cocina' *
Brilliantly organized and superbly written, with photographs that teach as well as inspire. Reading Start Here is like getting a fully accredited culinary degree from a professional who sees food and cooking through a grounded but completely modern perspective. Every recipe delivers.You need this book. * Carla Lalli Music, author of 'That Sounds So Good' and 'Where Cooking Begins' *
A special and original book for anyone wanting to make better food * Delicious *
The new Joy of Cooking for a globally minded generation of curious cooks. [El-Waylly] dispenses the wisdom of a professional chef with none of the ego, delivering cooking fundamentals in a voice that balances self-deprecation, science and just enough cheerleading to guide both the novice and the veteran through complex projects, like saffron-stained tahdig, or simpler pursuits, like a whole broiled fish with limey cabbage slaw or beginner’s drop cookies with Fritos and marshmallows. -- Kim Severson * The New York Times (The Best Cookbooks of 2023) *
- Winner of James Beard Foundation Award 2024 (UK)
ISBN: 9781529914078
Dimensions: 285mm x 225mm x 40mm
Weight: 2407g
656 pages